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He clubbed at heads and heard the jaws chop and the shaking of the skiff as they took hold below.

He clubbed desperately at what he could only feel and hear and he felt something seize the club and it was gone.

He jerked the tiller free from the rudder and beat and chopped with it, holding it in both hands and driving it down again and again.

But they were up to the bow now and driving in one after the other and together, tearing off the pieces of meat that showed glowing below the sea as they turned to come once more.

One came, finally, against the head itself and he knew that it was over.

He swung the tiller across the shark's head where the jaws were caught in the heaviness of the fish's head which would not tear.

He swung it once and twice and again.

He heard the tiller break and he lunged at the shark with the splintered butt.

He felt it go in and knowing it was sharp he drove it in again.

The shark let go and rolled away.

That was the last shark of the pack that came.

There was nothing more for them to eat.

The old man could hardly breathe now and he felt a strange taste in his mouth. It was coppery and sweet and he was afraid of it for a moment. But there was not much of it.

He spat into the ocean and said, "Eat that, Galanos. And make a dream you've killed a man."

He knew he was beaten now finally and without remedy and he went back to the stern and found the jagged end of the tiller would fit in the slot of the rudder well enough for him to steer.

He settled the sack around his shoulders and put the skiff on her course.

He sailed lightly now and he had no thoughts nor any feelings of any kind.

He was past everything now and he sailed the skiff to make his home port as well and as intelligently as he could.

In the night sharks hit the carcass as someone might pick up crumbs from the table.

The old man paid no attention to them and did not pay any attention to anything except steering.

He only noticed how lightly and how well the skiff sailed now there was no great weight beside her.

She's good, he thought. She is sound and not harmed in any way except for the tiller. That is easily replaced.

He could feel he was inside the current now and he could see the lights of the beach colonies along the shore. He knew where he was now and it was nothing to get home.

The wind is our friend, anyway, he thought.

Then he added, sometimes.

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